All Psyched Up: Dissociation

By Linda Hancock on June 14, 2025.

Some of us use the word “dissociation” to describe the break in connection that we have with a person, situation, or the social world. When we don’t like or agree with someone, we might dissociate or pull away from them. At times this is to protect ourselves from being hurt or vulnerable, whereas, at other times we just decide that we don’t want to invest our time and energy into something that is not serving us.

Each of us has had experiences when we zoned out and were caught not paying attention to another person or experience. This can be embarrassing but it is important to remember that people often lose their focus when they are tired, bored or pre-occupied with other matters.

In psychology we think about dissociation as a disconnect from our own thoughts, feelings, memories or even our sense of self. Those who have been traumatized often report symptoms that include emotional numbness, memory gaps, detached presentation as well as physical symptoms such as feeling dizzy or being outside of the body.

There are many triggers that can throw people into a dissociative state. Smells, sounds or other specific things can result in one feeling as though they are reliving a past trauma. These are often not obvious but are hidden in body memory. We might not even know what caused the dissociative episode and panic that can accompany it.

Identify and be mindful of triggers that might show up in your future. Adjust your environment to remove as many of these as possible. Talk with people who are regularly around you so that they have understanding and can remind you that you are safe. Develop structure in your life with clear communication, reasonable expectations and advance notice about possible changes entering your life. These things will help you so you don’t find yourself in a chaotic situation that you might have been able to prevent.

If you find that you are dissociating, learn how to stay grounded and calm.

You need grounding techniques to drag you away from the past trauma and back into the present. Focus on what is going on around you. What are you hearing, smelling and tasting right now? Remember to touch things that are near you. Use deep breathing to calm yourself.

I have had over 8,000 clients! Thinking that you are the only person who has problems or needs help is therefore a delusion. We all are challenged by difficulties and hiding them or isolating because of them doesn’t give us quality of life.

The good news is that there are usually effective strategies and techniques to prevent or resolve the exact thing that you are concerned about. It just takes honesty to admit everything to yourself and to others who likely have the solutions that you will treasure!

Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Calgary. She can be reached by email at office@drlindahancock.com

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